Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates generally to catalyst materials, and more particularly to the effect of material compositions and aging temperatures on three-way catalyst (TWC) performance and thermal stability of Zero-PGM (ZPGM) catalyst systems.
Background Information
Current TWC systems significantly increase the efficiency of conversion of pollutants and, thus, aid in meeting emission standards for automobiles and other vehicles. In order to achieve an efficient three-way conversion of the toxic components in the exhaust gas, conventional TWC includes large quantities of PGM material, such as platinum, palladium, and rhodium, among others, dispersed on suitable oxide carriers. Because catalysts including PGM materials provide a very high activity for the conversion of NOx, they are typically considered to be essential component of TWC systems.
Recent environmental concerns for a catalyst's high performance have increased the focus on the operation of a TWC at the end of its lifetime. Catalytic materials used in TWC applications have also changed, and the new materials have to be thermally stable under the fluctuating exhaust gas conditions. The attainment of the requirements regarding the techniques to monitor the degree of the catalyst's deterioration/deactivation demands highly active and thermally stable catalysts. As NO emission standards tighten and PGMs become scarce with small market circulation volume, constant fluctuations in price, and constant risk to stable supply, among others, there is an increasing need for new TWC catalyst compositions which may not require PGM and may be able to maintain efficient TWC of exhaust byproducts. There also remains a need for methods of producing such TWC catalyst formulations using the appropriate non-PGM materials.
According to the foregoing, there may be a need to provide catalytic properties which may significantly depend on the type of material, and aging temperatures for PGM-free catalyst systems which may be manufactured cost-effectively, such that TWC performance of ZPGM catalyst systems may be improved by providing suitable PGM-free catalytic layers.